Service-meter for telephone-exchanges.



PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

y J. L. MGQUAEEIE. SERVICE METEE EOE TELEPHONE EXCHANGES.

APPLICATION FILED DEO. 11. 1903.

H0 MODEL.

PATENTED AUG. 2, 1904.

J. L. MGQUARRIE. SERVICE METER FOR. TELEPHONE EXCHANGES.

APPLICATION YILED DBC.11, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

UNITED STATES Patented August 2, 1901.

PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES L. MGQUARRIE, OF SOUTH ORANGE, NElV JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO VES'IERN ELECTRIC COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORA- TION OF ILLINOIS.

SERVICE-METER FOR TELEPHONE-EXCHANGES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 766,375, dated August 2, 1904.

Application filed December l1, 1903. Serial No. 184,739. (No model.)

10 [1]/ iff/mnt it 71mg/ cm1/cern:

Be it known that I, JAMES L. IICQUARRIE, a citizen oi' the United States, residing at South Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey` have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Service-Meters forv rIelephone-Exchanges, of which the following is a i'ull, clear, concise, and exact description.

My invention relates to the measurement of tele1')hone-service; and its object is to provide improved service-meter apparatus by which signaling or other mechanism may be automatically actuated when the calls from a given substation exceed a certain predetermined number.

In a system equipped in accordance with my invention the subscriber may purchase a eertain number ot' calls. Each call will be counted, and when the allotted number have been made mechanism-such, for example, as a signal-transmitter will automatically be brought into action.

l will describe my invention particularly by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a view in elevation of a servicemeter and associated apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 3 is a vertical section showing the parts in an alternative position. Fig. -I is a vertical sectional view on line 4 A oi' Fig'. l; and Fig. is a diagram illustrating a telephone-line extending from a substation to a central otlice, the system being equipped with my improved service-meter apparatus.

The same characters of reference are used to designate the same parts wherever shown.

Referring tirst to Figs. l to LL, inclusive, the counting-train u is adapted to be advanced step by step by a pawl-and-ratchet mechanism actuated bya manual push-button A geartrain is provided in association with the service-meter to be advanced step by step as the counting-train is advanced. The push-button /1 is connected to operate the lever L', which carries pawls #Ffm-advancing the countingtram and gear-train, respectively. Thele'ver 7)' is normally held in its retracted position by a spring c. The ratchet-wheel (I ot' the 50 gear-train, which is actuated by the pawl carries a pinion d', which meshes with the larger gear-wheel e. As the counting-train is advanced step by step, therefore, the gearwheel a is gradually rotated.

An insulating-stud f is carried upon the gear-wheel e in position to engage the end ot' a contact-spring g and separate the same from its normal contact-anvil f/ when the gearwheel reaches a given point in its rotation. A pair o't' contact-springs /L t are mounted in position to be normally closed together by an insulating-stud carried upon an extension et' the operating-lever L. Normally said contacts are closed together; but when the pushbutton is pressed in to actuate the servicemeter the stud is moved away, so that the contact-spring /tis raised by its own elasticity from the other contact-spring L. A gong l is provided, inassoeiation with the service-meter, with a tapper for striking the same, said tapper being arranged to be actuated through the agency ot' a pawl which is in position to be moved by the teeth ot' the ratchetwheel d in its rotation. Each time the button I; is pushed in, therefore, the countingtrain is advanced one step, the gong is struck to sound a signal, and the gear-wheel e is advanced through a certain delinite arc.

The apparatus above described may be as- 30 sociated with a telephone-line in the manner illustrated in Fig. 5. The service-meter is intended to be mounted at the substation in proximity to the subscriber-s transmittingtelephone. A buzzer m, associated with the service-meter, is connected serially in the circuit oi the telephone-line. The contacts lf/ g' control a normally closed shunt or short circuit 6 around the buzzer w1, and` a second shunt or short circuit 7 around said buzzer `is 90 controlled by the contact-springs L /L.

The apparatus at the central otliee is ot' the usual type and needs no particular description. It includes the usual operators telephone which is adapted to be brought into circuit with the telephone-line through the agency of a plug and spring-jack switch and the usual listening-key t', associated with the plug-circuit. The system shown is acentralbattery system in which the source of current s at the central .oiiice is connected in a br-idge of the plug-circuit, and so with the line when connection is made therewith.

In the operation of the system shown the subscriber is required to manuallyoperate his service-meter to record each call at some stage in the course of the connection, usually upon the response of the called party. When the service-meter is actuated, the gongZ is sounded, which being near the transmitter is heard in the operators telephone at the central oce. The'operator after directing the subscriber to push the button of his servicemeter knows from hearing the sound of the gong in her telephone that the registration has l zer being transversed by current will rapidly interrupt the circuit, and so transmit a signal which will be heard in the operators telephone as well as by the subscriber. This signal will indicate that further service will be in excess oi' the allotted number'of calls previously determined upon.

Having thus described my invention, I claiml. The combination with a service-meter having step-by-step counting mechanism adapted for manual operation in the registration of connections, of a signal-transmitting device actuated in the advance of said mechanism a given number of steps.

2. The combination with a telephone-line extending from a substation to a central ofice, of a service-meter for the line at the substation, said meter having step-by-step counting mechanism, a signal-transmitting device actuated by the advance of said mechanism a predetermined number of steps,and an instrument at the central ofice responsive to the signal transmitted, whereby the operator is automatically informed when the predetermined number of calls have been registered.

3. The combination with substation apparatus in a central-battery telephone-exchange system, of a service-meter having step-by-step counting mechanism, a buzzer and a switch adapted to bring the same into operative connection with the line, said switch being automatically actuated by the step-by-step mechanism at a given stage in its advance.

4. The combination with a service-meter for telephone-exchange substations, said meter having step by step counting mechanism adapted for manual operation by the subscriber, of a signaling instrument actuated in each advance of the counting mechanism, and a special-signal-transmitting instrument actuated in the advance of said counting mechanism a predetermined number of steps.

5. rIhe combination with a telephone-line and the substation apparatus thereof in a central-battery telephone-exchange system, of a subscribers service-meter having step-by-step counting mechanism adapted for manual operation, a signal device and means for actuating the same in each advance of the counting mechanism, a buzzer connected in the linecircuit, switch-contacts controlling a shunt of the buzzer, said contacts being opened in each actuation of the counting mechanism, other switch-contacts controlling a second shunt of said buzzer, a gear-train arranged to be advanced a step in each advance of the counting mechanism, and a stud carried by the geartrain in position to engage and open said lastmentioned switch-contacts as the gear-train is advanced to a predetermined stage.

6. The combination with a telephone service-meter having a counting-train, of mechanism adapted to effect the movement of the same step by step in the registration of connections, a switch, a circuit controlled thereby, and means associated with said counting-train adapted to actuate said switch ata given point in the advance of the train.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name this 5th day of December, A. D. 1903.

JAMES L. MCQUARRIE.

Iitnesses:

. .IENNIE C. LAMB,

FRANK H. GILCHRIsT. 

